Switch actuating means



June 18, 1940. J sTALEY 2,205,314

SWITCH ACTUATING MEANS Filed May 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

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SWITCH AGTUATING MEANS Filed May 20', 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 47 TOP/V5 rs Patented June 18, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE-f SWITCH ACTUATING MEANS Joseph H. Staley, Columbus, Ind.

Application May 20, 1939, Serial No. 274,693

1 Claim.

ceedingly simple in the manufacture of the indi- I vidual parts and their assembly.

A further important object of the invention is to make the above indicated structure with a minimum number of parts and consequently a minimum number of operations in the manufacture thereof. In fact the structure, in the present form shown, reduces itself to three major elements united one with the other by means of an operating spring without any other uniting means such as screws, rivets, or the like.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention as illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, a reverse side of the structure in elevation; 1 1

Fig. 3, a top plan view;

Fig. 4, an end elevation;

Fig. 5, an opposite end elevation;

Fig. 6, a longitudinal vertical section on the line 6-6 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7, an end view in perspective of the central frame of the structure;

Fig. 8, an end view in perspective of the switch carrying rocker; and 1 Fig. 9, an end view in perspective of the shifting member.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

A central frame In, Fig. '7, is formed to have a mounting foot II from which extends in vertically offset relation a plate I2 to have a top plate I3 bent over integrally therefrom and at right angles thereto. From the outer edge of the top plate I3 is a side plate I4 extending integrally therefrom and bent downwardly into parallel spaced relation with the main plate I2. A lug I5 is cut from an edge of the plate I2 and bent around at right angles thereto. to extend toward the opposite plate I4. A similar lug I6 is bent around from the lower edge of the plate I4 to be in the same plane with the lug I5, the lug I6 being formed adjacent that vertical edge of the plate I4 opposite the edge of the plate I2 at which edge the lug I5 is formed. These lugs I5 and I6 terminate by their inner ends to leave a space therebetween. At the other verti cal edges of the plates l2 and I4 are formed the lugs I1 and I8 respectively, the lug I6 being cut out of the plate I2 and bent outwardly there: from, and the lug I8 being turned around outwardly from the lower edge of the plate I4.

The free ends of the top plate I3 extend beyondthe respective vertical edges of the plates I2 and I3 thereunder to form the respective pro-' jections I9 and 20. That edge of the plate I2 at which the lug I5 appears is offset below the lug I5.to provide the step 2I.

tially the same horizontally disposed plane. Ob-

viously the main frame I0 thus described may be formed from an originally flat blank of sheet metal and cut and bent to the form above described.

A switch rocker, generally designated by the numeral 23, Fig. 8, is formed to be generally U- shaped, to have a transverse wall 24 uniting the outer ends of the spaced apart legs and '26. Each of the free ends of these legs is provided with a V-notch 21- and 28. respectively.- The wall 24 is provided with a central post 29, herein shown as being formed by providing a pair of spaced apart holes through the wall 24 to leave the connecting piece of metal therebetween as this post.

One of the legs of this rocker 23 carries a switch mounting panel 30, the leg 25 in the present example being employed for this purpose. In order to provide clearance for the heads of rivets or screws, either of which may be employed to secure the panel to the leg 25, the leg 25 is provided with an outwardly offset portion 3| within which the heads 32 of the rivets may be carried and still have those heads below the plane of the inner face of the leg 25.

On this panel 3|] is mounted a pair of clips 33 and 34 within which the ends of a mercury tube switch 35 may be engaged. In the form herein shown, this switch 35 is a metal wall switch in which the two ends thereof form separate terminals. This switch 35 is of that construction as shown in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,906,118, issued April 25, 1933. In any event, the exact structure of the switch itself does not enter into this invention. These clips 33 and 34, in the pres- At the other edge of this plate I2 is a lug 22 turned inwardly from ent form,'are secured to the panel 30 by screws 36 and 31 passing through feet of the clips and screw-threadedly engaging the panel 30. These screws 36 and 31 also serve as terminals from which conductors or leads may be carried. As indicated, each of the clips 33 and 34 consists simply of a band encircling the switch 35 to have the clip ends drawn together by the screws to cause compressive engagement with the switch.

The actuating member of the device is indicated in Fig. 9 wherein there is a lever 38 terminating in a vertical end in which there is formed a V- notch 39. Spaced back of this notched end is a tie piece 40 extending integrally from the lever 38 substantially at right angles thereto across and downwardly to merge integrally into a vertically disposed arm 4| also having a 'V-notch 42 in its outer end corresponding to the notch 39. The outer faces of the lever 38 and the arm 4| are spaced apart in parallel vertical planes a distance permitting these two members to be enter'ed between the plates l2 and I401 the frame Hi to have the notches 39 and 42 fitover the lugs l5 and H5. From the edge of the tie piece 40 between'the lever 38 and the arm 4| is a downturned ear 43 through which a hole 44 is formed. The lever 38 extends rearwardly from the frame In in the position thereof shown, as viewed in Fig. 7 and also in Fig, 2.

The rocker 23 is brought up to the piece Ill to have its legs 25 and 26 straddle the member ID from the front side thereof, as viewed in Fig. 7, to bring the notches 21 and 28 up about the lugs 18 and I1 respectively. These two members thus located on the frame I ll are elasticallytied together and held in engagement with their re spective lugs by means of a spring 45, Fig. 6, one

end of which is hooked around the post 29 of the rocker 23and the other end of which engages through the hole 44 of the ear 43. This uniting of these two shiftable parts by the spring 45 completes the assembly.

, The action is that as indicated in Fig. 6. When the lever 38 is pushed downwardly to carryit below the plane of the lugs l5, l6, l7, and IS, the spring 45 has its corresponding end pulled downwardly to flip the rocker 23 also downwardly to the position as indicated in Fig. 6 as well as in Figs. 1-5. The lower position of the lever 38 is limited by the lug 22 on the piece l0 while the lower limiting of the rocker 23 is limited by its cross piece 24 striking the step 2| on the same piece l0. Similarly when the lever 38 is pushed upwardly as indicated by the dash lines in Fig. 6, the action of the spring 45 will flip the rocker 23 upwardly to have its cross piece strike the plate extension l9 while the upward travel of the lever 38 is limited by its cross piece 40 striking the top plate extension 20. The panel 30 and consequently the switch rocks with the rocker 23 to the oif and on positions depending upon the direction in which the switch 35is mounted between the clips 33 and 34.

While the structure has been described herein as having the mounting foot ll below, thisv foot, of course, may be turned to be in an upper position or a laterally extending position, all depending upon the particular location and the particular use to which the structure may be put. This structure finds a wide range of uses, one particular use being that wherein a float on a liquid lifts and lowers the lever 38 to cut off and cut in a liquid level controlling device.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one particular form, it is obvious that structural changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claim.

I claim: 1

Ina snap acting switch mechanism, a U-shaped frame having a web and legs spaced apart and continuing from the web, 2. lug turned laterally outwardly from each leg from the same side edges thereof, a lug turned laterally inwardly from each opposite edge of the legs, all of said lugs being located substantially. the same distance from and in a plane substantially parallel with said web, a U-shaped rocker telescoping with said legs from-the edges thereof and rock- 

